Spring Break! Woop Woop!

So this week has been Spring Break! Woop Woop!

For Spring Break we booked a hotel in Reno, Nevada, for two days of Snowboarding! We left on Monday, and after 2 hours of driving we were in the snowy Sierra Nevada mountains driving through beautiful scenery. When we arrived in Reno, named 'the biggest little city' I understood why it's commonly compared to Vegas. It's a lot like Vegas with its pretty lights and hotel casinos, but much smaller. Our hotel had 2 floors of casinos, one with beer pong, and the 17th floor (our room) had a great view of the surrounding mountains! Also our room had a King bed so wide I could lie across it - it was as wide as I am tall!

The first day of snowboarding, was my first day of snowboarding ever. Never touched a board. So it will be unsurprising that I spent most of the day on my bum. In fact getting up was probably the hardest part. Then add trying to get off a ski lift with one foot in your board and the other out! Getting off the lift without falling was probably my best achievement on day 1!

That night we went to a true American steakhouse, Ruby River. The whole restaurant was decorated with cowboy stuff, boots, hats, holsters, and then 30 minutes in cowboy looking guys actually showed up for a meal. It was awesome, and I don't think I've ever tasted steak so good.

We had every intention that night of playing beer pong in the casino, but we were both so tired from snowboarding we played cards instead. I had to ice all my sore muscles!

It got interesting the next day. I finally was able to snowboard down the mountain without falling and so we were up and down the mountain pretty fast. We decided to move up higher after lunch for longer runs and I was doing pretty well considering it was only day 2. As soon as we decided we might go a third day, disaster struck. My board caught the snow throwing me back. Stupidly I put my arms out to catch my fall, and in doing so felt the worst pain in my wrist. I wont lie, I cried for about 5 seconds in the snow before I checked for swelling and movement. My hand and fingers were fine, fully functional, but the swelling on my wrist was growing and I couldn't turn my hand over. I iced it with some snow and convinced myself it was fine. We boarded down the mountain with me full of fear in case I fell again. At the bottom Megan convinced me to seek First Aid, and the first aid guy would send me to hospital. I was so gutted. I didn't want to go to hospital. It didn't hurt if I didn't move, I was fine.

Yeah so that didn't happen. Megan made me go to the 'Emergency Room'. This was about to be a crazy American experience for me. Firstly, I had to work out how my insurance worked. I knew I had insurance, but that was about it, so for 20 minutes Megan is talking to phone robots trying to figure out how much an xray's gonna cost me. Then I checked in to ER and waited in a relatively empty waiting room for 5 minutes. I was seen by a nurse who asked a hundred medical history questions and checked my blood pressure, and then taken into a private room in the ER ward. I was told to get on the bed and was so confused I asked if I should take my shoes off. She put a blanket on me, got a pillow for my arm, and propped the bed up. As she left she pointed out the TV. No joke, I was in bed in a private room with a TV within 15 minutes of arriving. In a bed - it was my arm that was hurting - why was I in a bed? Over the next 2 hours I would have nurses, doctors, and xrays. Also it turns out they do the xrays with you still in the bed - I didn't have to move. I thought you had to put your arm in a machine or a hole in the wall over something. Anyway it turned out I'd broken my left wrist. They sent me away with a temporary splint after I handed over $150. I wont lie, I feel like I got what I paid for. I was treated like a little princess. Although I won't hear one person complain about the NHS because that's free and I can't afford to break any more bones in this country.

That night we went to a really posh restaurant (kind of by accident) and there's me with a bandage up to my elbow in the only tshirt baggy enough to fit over the splint. We looked so out of place. The portions were so tiny! Although, the food was awesome and there's something to be said for sympathy. It didn't matter how dressed down we were because I looked so pathetic. I kept getting looks from people like "aww bless little baby broke her arm". In fact since then I've had so much sympathy from people working in restaurants and shops, in fact one store worker helped us to the car with all our shopping. Completely unnecessary but I'll take it.  

So anyway yesterday I had to get a cast. First broken bone I've ever had, so first ever cast. While the insurance makes the paperwork and phone calls very complicated, it does mean I got to choose Blue for my cast! So now I'm walking around looking really cool with a blue cast on my arm. I'm yet to know how much that's going to cost me though.

So in all, a relatively successful Spring break. I learnt to Snowboard and gained 4 weeks in a cast with a broken wrist!

I'm updating my blog and can't think of a witty title...

So it's February 17th, Monday night, and I honestly don't know what to write about. My mum read my academic blog today and said it wasn't as fun as this one so it prompted me to write, although I usually have a subject to write about.

Well here goes...

Ellen Page came out. That happened. I know some of you won't know who that is but she's that actress from Juno. She was in Xmen too. At first I didn't care so much but when you watch the video, she articulates her feelings so well it's just a good video to watch if you've ever felt a little trapped maybe you can relate.

Ok I've thought of something to write about now.

So this week a professor asked me what I've missed about England, and what I would miss about America.

What I've Missed About England (not inc. the people):
1) I think Public Transport has been the one thing I've missed the most, and constantly. In England you can get around easily without a car, but in America you can't at all. It's such a crappy thing to miss, but I guess you don't know how much you need something until it's gone. Seriously, buses and trains, I miss them.
2) I miss British Television for a few reasons. Firstly because we just have some really great shows that you can't get here. Mock the Week is just one example I can think of right now. Secondly because in England you get "prime time", and here you don't. With a country that stretches three time zones of course its hard to pick a good time to show your best shows, but I'm not willing to stay up til midnight to watch Saturday Night Live.
3) Perhaps the most important one to me is that I miss being able to go to a local pub. With everything so spread out in America there are no pubs/bars that you can just walk home from, and there's no taxi's either. If we go drinking, somebody's driving and that's no fun. At home you can get a cheap taxi or walk home from your local, and if you can find a Wetherspoons the drinks and food cost nothing either!

What I Will Miss About America (not inc. the people):
1) I think the first obvious answer is the weather. Being in California means you get tanning time in February, and it's truly the best feeling to be in shorts and a shirt each day. The sun makes you happy and comfortable, and I will definitely miss that.
2) The food. Yes it is true, British food is bland and there's a reason why our National dish is curry. Right now I cannot think of anything worse than past, beans, and cheese, and that used to be something I'd eat every day. Here in California we have the privilege of a range of Mexican food that you don't get in England. It's good to taste what you're eating. I will miss spicy food. I will miss tasty food. But hopefully I can bring things back to England with me.
3) The sport. Yeah I'm sorry I'm not even embarrassed, I will miss watching American football. It's a good spectator sport and  like to have it on TV. In fact in America there is always sport on TV. Any time, any day, there is sport on, and I will really miss that. I don't even like to watch sport that much, but there's something about American sport that means it's easy to put on in the background and give it half your attention.

There's definitely a version of these list's that are a million times longer but the main ones are here. And let's be real, the America list should probably say "California" because it's not the same everywhere in America.

That last point has reminded me, I've really loved watching the Olympics these past weeks. I love that it's always on TV and I love the Olympics after working at the 2012 games. I'm really jealous that team Canada is at these Olympics and they don't need my help, and I'm really sad I'm not with them. Instead I'm supporting them all the way, especially since GB aren't very present in these games anyway.

Other than that, I feel like I have nothing more to share. My life has been all about being stressed about work every day, and this weekend I've finally taken some time to breathe.

Oh that was the other thing. I've reduced my Facebook. I mean I tried to delete it but it turns out you can only deactivate it with it sat there waiting for your return. So instead i haven't deleted it, just deleted everything on there. So yes I will check it for messages every now and then but other than that you need to text me because I truly truly hate Facebook.

So, I will update you when I have more to share, but for now this is it!

xx

The Final Fight to California: This Finish Line's in sight

Yesterday I flew back to California for the very last time. I have 4 months until graduation on May 10th. After that I'll be done, my California adventure will be over, and I'll have 30 days before the US Government will kick me out the country.

It feels weird with the end so close yet so far. Realistically 4 months is nothing and it is going to go very fast, but then I think about all the things I have to do in those 4 months and it doesn't feel close being over at all. I have a new sociology class to start and finish, my Thesis to complete, another semester of Tiger Pride, and new class of undergrads in my Tennis Activity Class. That's not to mention any extra work I might try to publish. So it's not that close to the end at all.

I've spoken a lot in the past about transitions between here and the UK and I think that's because they're the feelings that feel most alien. In my last blog post I mentioned how I'd got back to the UK with my USA head still on, and now I'm experiencing the exact opposite. It seems that it can take as little as 4 weeks for me to settle back into one of my two worlds, and now I'm back in California I'm struggling to think like an American. It really is a mental thing too because physically nothing feels strange or new, I've just fit back into my old routine here. Mentally though I'm finding it hard to prepare for the upcoming semester. I imagine it's like swapping between driving a car and a bus. After a driving a car all your life, driving a bus might be hard at first, but eventually you learn and get used to it. So I imagine I've been driving a car for the last 4 weeks, and now I'm back in the bus. I can physically drive the bus with ease, but mentally I'm all over the place for a bit until I'm used to it again.

I'm going to stick to what I said before Christmas, I feel like I belong in two different worlds now. This is a problem though because the two worlds are so different. It's always been hard in America living without some of the good stuff from England, but these last four weeks in England I have missed certain things about America. The food here is great and always having sport on tv is definitely something I love, but then five minutes in the car here and I'm reminded that I much prefer British roads and British drivers. I don't want to insult my friends but California drivers aren't exactly defensive drivers, and I'm certainly nervous in the car!

Looking back I did have a great Christmas break, and not because I did anything particularly awesome, but because is was perfectly normal. I did get to take my mum to the Harry Potter studios, and on the same day my family and I saw Catching Fire at the cinema, so that really was one of my best 2013 days. Otherwise I just enjoyed the day-to-day. Walking my dog and watching British comedy shows and eating home cooked meals. It was just great to live out a normal few weeks.

As far as New Years resolutions go I did change my approach to making them. This year instead of trying to do more of something like going to the gym for example, I actually picked out one of my worst behaviors and I'm aiming to reduce it! I'm a worrier, and I worry about money and my future everyday. I'm fairly sure that worrying so much about these things is actually stopping me from enjoying my life. So my new years resolution was that for 2014 I am not allowed to worry about money. This is my year off. If I'm poor then so be it. I don't need a well paid job for a few years and so I'm not worrying about it. I'm going to coach when I get back and that's all. I'll worry about the future in 2015. This year is my chance to chill out and enjoy life. So I call upon you all to HELP ME! Any time you hear me worrying about money or getting a job or my future YOU MUST STOP ME!

My flight was not the best yesterday. There was a lot of turbulence and I was ready to live out Episode 1 of Lost, expecting to find myself in purgatory disguised as an island paradise with Dominic Monaghan. The food was awesome though, that was good. I also got to watch Don Jon (not recommended for the easily offended), The Internship, and We're The Millers. I loved all of them so if you need a recommendation go with one of those.

I think I'm beginning to ramble so I will stop there. Thanks everyone in the UK, especially my family, for making my Christmas break so perfect! It was just what I needed. And here's to my sprint finish here in California!

I hope you all have a great start to 2014! Stay positive (especially in the upcoming crappy January and February that everyone inevitably has)!

Home for Christmas: Some Christmas Teachings

So yes, this time last year I arrived home for Christmas just I have done this week, although it's fair to say it doesn't feel like the same experience. For those of you who keep up with my blog, you'll know my visit over summer was eye opening. How I'd become truly Americanized and that I'd started to miss things in the US a lot more than I had ever expected. Well its fair to say that that's still the case. I am now using words like "sweater" and "soda" with much more commitment than ever before. In fact typing on an English keyboard as I write this is slowing me down immensely. To be fair, the little English things are less of a novelty now compared to summer. I think I've now fully accepted I belong in two worlds. So with that in mind, it seems silly to repeat myself from last Christmas, and instead perhaps I will share some free wisdom's that I have come across from my experience. There are 5 items altogether. These may come across a bit ranty but that's because I am passionate about the topics. I wouldn't bother writing about it if I didn't think that at least some of it was worthwhile. I have inserted some images to make it less painful.

Higher Education:
Firstly, I'm not sure if I would recommend higher education. Granted I have learnt so much in such a short space of time, but that's the problem. I can now fully appreciate the term "Ignorance is bliss". Let me explain. My current education involves higher level psychology and sociology, particularly within the power of the media and the representation of minority groups (well actually everyone). As a result I can no longer live my life in peaceful happiness. Every TV show, movie, news broadcast, social situation, and conversation, I am plagued by the knowledge and understanding I have of how every word and image effects the world and effects us. We are all products of our society and yet we all believe we are free to choose our own destiny. I can't bare it. I can't bare knowing what I know.
For example last night: I can't bare to watch The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug to see that there are only TWO black people in the entire movie. TWO. Are you seriously telling me, Mr Jackson, that a black person does not emulate the perfection of the Elves? Can you tell me for a fact that if Middle Earth DID exist that the only black people would be two peasants that live on a lake? Another example: Every time I hear someone casually use the words 'retarded' or 'mental' or 'gay' or 'n***er' or 'bitch' or 'slut' I cringe because they have no idea the power of words and how they are shaping the world around them. And sure, I could rant about every television show and every movie and every conversation in the same respect, but here's my real problem: If I'd gone to see The Hobbit two years ago, I wouldn't care. Two years ago I could sit and watch television and have conversations without seeing all the bad stuff. I was ignorant to it all. So now I wonder who has it better? We all look down on people who drop out of school, but perhaps they did the right thing, because at least they're happy.

Parents
This category has come from my experience away from my parents. I know I've mentioned it before, and I know we are all thankful for our family on the surface because it is socially acceptable to do so (sorry but it is). So how many of you can say you've sat back and thought about how much time and money your

parent/s have put into keeping you happy? How many holidays, dinners out, nice cars, or spa days they could have had if you weren't around? And now with more of us living at home because of the cost of living starting out, how many of you are living with your parent/s for minimal rent, and how many of you actually go home over Christmas and pay for the food you eat? It's sounds idealistic perhaps, but it's hard to look away when you realize the sheer scale of it. I'm not pointing fingers, but merely stating something that I can now see clear as day. My trip to America would not have been possible without my parents. I plan to do my very best to pay them back. And I think the world would be a better place if we all took more time to thank our parents.

Pets
Yes yes ok I'm sorry, I've ranted a lot. I just wanted to share something I read about dogs, and I think it applies to most pets to be honest: "He may only be a part of your life, but you are everything to him". Pets are incredibly valuable to us and they bring so much joy and happiness. It's so easy to forget that you are all they have. I'll never forget that quote now I've read it, and so even though its rainy outside and I have a bunch of chores and a thesis to write, I'll make time to take my dog out for that extra walk. Right now my dog is barking at Kung Fu Panda.

Books
When I looked back on 2012 I had so much to be thankful for. I had graduated, we had the jubilee, the Olympics, I moved to America, and of course my health and my family. I knew that 2013 would struggle to follow. I have had an amazing year and seen basically everything California has to offer, although I think looking back I will always thank 2013 for rekindling my love of books. This year I read The Hunger Games trilogy and fell in love with it. I have become a Hunger Games fangirl and I think I like it more than I like dinosaurs. I've been captivated by the stories, and with the movies coming out I couldn't be more thrilled. Before you laugh, the trilogy helped my through the hardest time of my life, and so there's something to be said about losing yourself in another world. I also read Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. It's a must read to anyone who considers  themselves a know-it-all, because I assure you, you don't. Finally, I am now reading Wooden. Coach John Wooden is something of a hero in the world of American basketball and perhaps that won't interest any of you, but he's lived a successful life, and that should interest everyone. So what's my point? Book are getting lost in the world. People stopped reading, and so people stopped learning. I have learned so much from these 5 books in the space of one year. Books are education, and books are entertainment. It seems that instead people care more about Facebook, vine, snapchat, and instagram. Those sites provide short term happiness and are only telling you that your friend from school who you don't talk to anymore tagged herself at winter wonderland and has a new boyfriend. Get off Facebook and read an actual book. And I know you use Facebook because that's how you got this link. Stop it.


Christmas Cards
So my final food for thought is about Christmas cards, and it actually ties in with the Facebook thing. So my parents currently have window shelf of roughly 30-40 Christmas Cards. The majority were sent through the post although the neighbors would have just posted them by hand. My parents also sat down the other night, wrote all theirs, and posted them the next morning. Here's the thing though. I'm 22, my brothers nearly 20, and we have friends old enough to use the postal service and afford it. How many Christmas cards do you think we have received? 1 each. Both hand delivered by our Grandma, from our Grandma. Since when were our parents more popular than us? Do you have to be married to merit a Christmas card? Do you have to live at your own address perhaps? If you're reading this you're probably around my age; do your friends send you Christmas cards? I remember buying a 100 pack at pound-land and writing one for every kid in my year group, including a number of kids I didn't even talk to. So whats different now? And let's be honest, I think we know what it is. I'm gonna get a group text on Christmas day from a few of you aren't I? Maybe even a Facebook message. Call me traditional, but IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY! GET YOUR FACE OUT OF THAT SCREEN AND READ A BOOK! Wait I mean TALK TO YOUR FAMILY! Ok I sound old, but I don't care. One day I'll be the only adult who writes a Christmas card to my friends and family, and it'll be my own rebellion against the (anti)social media generation.

The End of My Blog Post
So if you're reading this you've either skipped to the bottom of the page or you've endured the full force of it. If it's the latter good job, I'll write you a Christmas card. I'm sorry that this didn't follow suit of my usual blog posts, but these are the lessons I have learned from my travels. I've had to learn the hard way, and I am giving you this information for free. Merry Christmas.


From your very grumpy friend x

Christmas already?

So I really have to apologize. It looks like the last time I wrote was at the start of the semester, which  was probably the last time I had any free time. This semester has been pretty busy, especially with my Thesis work taking all my free time, I really have had a limited social life. It's all been one big blur to be honest. As a result I haven't been contacting my UK friends at all really, so I am really sorry about that. Especially Kayleigh since she had a birthday 3 days ago! I hope it was awesome buddy!

I suppose looking back over the past weeks, I only really have had two big milestones.

Firstly, Catching Fire was released. It's fair to say I'm a big fan of the books, so to see the movie twice at the cinema that weekend was so great. Imax definitely blew me away too. It was hard to come away happy though - I won't post any spoilers - but the ending of course leaves us hanging big time, and having read the books I know it's a long time now until good things happen again. They did do a good job of adding plenty of comic relief through out the movie though.

Secondly, Thanks Giving. This was my second Thanks Giving ever, and I was once again hosted by the lovely Allen family. This time though we certainly had more guests than last time, which made it all the more entertaining. What can I say, the food was great as always, in fact I hope I can get some of those recipes! It did rain for some of our stay, but otherwise the south California mountains were as beautiful as always.

I have had a few day trips to speak of. As you may have seen on my Facebook, I was very excited to have seen Paramore live in San Jose. That really was amazing. I also visited Sacramento for the first time a few weeks back. I was especially excited to visit Old Sacramento, which felt very western with their Saloons and horse drawn carts.
The Christmas build up has also started, although it doesn't feel very Christmassy with the sun in the sky each day! This past week the weather has turned much colder, to the low temperatures I know all too well from home. I've certainly been wrapping up in the layers these last few days!

I really wish I had more to talk about, but my head has been buried in my books unfortunately. I will be flying home for Christmas on the 14th December - once again my parents generosity has gone far beyond my expectations. So for those of you reading in the UK, I'll see you soon! And those of you reading in the US, have a good Christmas and I'll see year in the New Year!

2014. Jeeze.

America: Round 2

Today I woke up homesick and so I realized it was probably time for a blog update.

As you saw from my last post I spent nearly 8 weeks at home in England. It was a well needed break and I couldn't have had a better time there. I simply spent 8 weeks relaxing and living the British life. It was perfect. Most importantly I learned how lucky I am to have the friends and family I have. Many people will come in and out of your life, but those select few that stick around - even when you move out of the country - I owe them so much.

Coming back to Cali was an easy transition. When I look back to January, the two return trips couldn't have been more different. Last time it took a lot to get me on my feet again. I was battling incredible homesickness and was miserable. I've never been so unhappy. This time it was different though. This time I merely had the time difference to get used to, and thanks to the wonderful hospitality of the Allen family I didn't need to worry about anything else. Nothing seemed different or new and so I simply fit back into life here like I'd never left.

It wasn't long before I found myself back into university life, and this term feels like the busiest I've ever been. With teaching classes, working in Athletics, completing my masters, and the self-inflicted coaching observation hours and book reading, I've been working non stop. I get up, go to work, go home, go to bed. I'm barely awake for any social life after that. All my efforts have been on simply day to day functioning, and that often spills over into the weekend. I flew in on the 17th august which means I've not been back a month yet, and it feels like so long since I was at home in England with my puppy.

Needless to say I get very little time to think about anything else, which means Sundays are my down days. Sundays I get space from school. Sunday's I wear my Brunel hoody and stay in my Pj's. I wake up, have a proper cup of tea, and make egg burritos. I Skype my parents on Sundays. We might go to the store or go to dinner, but mostly Sundays are for doing nothing. Tonight we're going to watch the 49ers game at our friends house. Sundays are the days I try and get my head around what the hell happened this week, and to remember where I am and why I'm here. Unsurprisingly that means - Sundays are my homesick days.

As crazy as it's all been I can easily see how fast I've had to grow in such a small space of time. I keep thinking back to last year and where I was this time last year. In fact this time last year I was probably still hiding in my bedroom at weekends, not knowing people and Skyping my parents alone and scared. Those first few months seemed crazy. Yesterday I was trying to remember what I used to do on weekends at Brunel. I don't remember. It feels like a lifetime ago. It's a weird feeling when a place like Brunel, that felt so much like home and such a big part of me, now just feels like a memory from when I was a kid. That hurt more than anything because I still have so much Brunel pride, but I don't feel a part of that place anymore. I feel like a different person now, so for me to go back and pretend like nothing has changed would be a lie. I never expected to feel that way.

My brother is starting his second year of uni now. I can't believe it. I feel like I'm missing out on him growing up.

It's not all misery though, and to pretend like it is would be over dramatic and unfair. After being here a year I know how it all works life in America is finally easy. I have some really great friends and as a result I get to do things like wine tasting and go to fundraiser dinners. I love what I do and I'm learning so much everyday. I can see how I'm developing from undergrad to masters. I work hard as a teacher and I get a huge sense of achievement when one of my students learns something! When I look back at interviewing for this job I really didn't know what to expect, but if I'd imagined the best possible scenario, I am living it now.

Before I finish rambling, I would like to publicly thank Kayleigh for inspiring my blog today. After 11 years and from thousands of miles away she is still supporting me. Thanks Kays.

Oh also! My last post sent my blog above 1000 veiws. Now I'm fairly sure even my mum doesn't have time to read my blog 1000 times, so to who ever you are, thank you for reading. My blog is well needed therapy for me, as well as a piece of mind knowing I can keep my friends updated with my little adventure - so thank you very much for reading because it really means a lot to me. As a reward to you all, here are some gifs of cats which I think are really funny.

No Place Like Home

After coming home for Christmas I figured the whole process of 'coming home' this summer would be a similar one. In fact it was very different. Not because of the weather (although coming to England to more beautiful sunshine was a plus), but because I'd been away longer. When I came home at Christmas, I'd been in California for just over 4 months. It was still new to me, and coming home was a well needed break. This time though, I'd been away 6 months. Not only was it a longer break, but it meant I'd been living in California for 10 months now, and I hadn't realized how "Americanized" I had become.

In 10 months I'd gone beyond the novelties and the obvious differences in language. I was full-on thinking like an American. I now have full understanding of Cali life, school, sports, food, politics, social life and was living it completely. I was visiting places in L.A. and the Pacific Coast and not grouping myself with the other tourists there. I know how to send mail, pay in a check, pay for a meal and how much to tip. I know when's the best time to drive and what the traffic will be like. I know how to get to San Francisco and how long it will take and where to go, as well as knowing where San Jose, Santa Cruz, Sacramento and San Diego are and what's there. I started watching sports center, started caring about the 49ers and the NFL draft, and felt guilty for liking The Heat (basketball) when everyones hating on LeBron. I naturally say 'soccer', 'yard', 'freeway' and 'sweater'. In ten months I have changed and my brain is split into two worlds, and the more you learn, the more difficult it is to interchange between them. I no longer feel like a British kid writing about how different America is. Now, I am writing about how I came home and saw the UK like a tourist for the very first time.

It happened immediately as I got off the plane. It was sunny so that didn't feel alien to me, but after 2 minutes in the car I started to notice things that had always been there before. Sure, driving on the left side of the road took a little readjustment but I was ready for that. What I didn't expect was to notice how green everything was. Miles and miles of green fields and trees. Then the condition of the motorway, and how smooth and clean the roads were. Then how long the journey took; I was home in 30 minutes. A 30 minute drive will get you to the cinema in California, and no where near an airport. Then I noticed the postboxes, bright red and dotted so randomly around the town. Then the cars parked on the road because not all houses have driveways here. The roads aren't wide or straight, but curved and narrow. There aren't any trucks, but instead white vans. It took me a week to settle back into life here and to remember how to "be" British.

A few weeks later I found myself in London for dinner with a friend who I had missed so so much. As I waited in Trafalgar Square I took numerous pictures of Nelsons Column, the National Gallery, red phone boxes, and the Sherlock Holmes pub. I became a tourist in a city I used to visit every other week.

At first I thought I was just 'thinking like an American', but I wasn't thinking about America at all. Instead I was just seeing home as an outsider and appreciating what we have here. I hear so many Brits complain about the country and I used to be one of them, but now I can see the good we have beyond my home comforts. Now I can see why people travel from around the world to visit us, and why so many people will break immigration laws to come live here.

I've been back nearly 4 weeks now. I've truly experienced the good and bad in both places. I've experienced the home sickness and missing friends at both ends. It's a strange feeling to feel like you belong in two completely different places, and it's especially scary when you have to start thinking about your future. Who knows what will happen from here, but for the first time I have to start thinking that America might not just be two years of my life anymore.

Finally, on a slightly unrelated note, I would like to end on a request to all my friends and family. Please don't ask me "so how is America?". What kind of question is that? A person who has just spent 10 months in America can only answer you with a written essay, AND THIS IS WHY I HAVE A BLOG. Be specific god dammit! Otherwise you'll be getting the generic "yeah its good, the weathers nice" response.

Peace out and thanks for reading.